[StBernard] Protecting Louisiana's Seafood Industry

[Westley Annis]

Dear  Friend,


	

I  wanted to let you know about my ongoing efforts to protect Louisiana's
seafood  industry from foreign competition and to protect seafood consumers
from unsafe  imported seafood.

	

This  month the Senate adopted by  Unanimous Consent an amendment I offered
to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill to require the Food and  Drug
Administration to study the inspection  capacity of imported seafood and the
supply chains that are the most  susceptible to health concerns or risk of
contamination.

	

The FDA has 240 days  after enactment to submit their study to Congress and
make recommendations for  increasing inspection capacity.

	

Our  state has a rich fishing heritage that provides many Louisiana families
with  their livelihoods, and Gulf seafood is a central component of our
unique cuisine. Given its importance to our state, I believe  that seafood
imported from other countries should be held to the same high  standards
that we impose on domestic seafood products.

	

Seafood  imported from China and other Asian countries needs to be better
inspected and  monitored.  It's that simple. And this amendment will help
ensure that the FDA  applies the same standards to all seafood, not just
seafood produced in  domestic waters.

	

Foreign seafood  producers often use antibiotics or other chemicals in their
fish production  that have been banned as unsafe in the United States.
Without more study  and increased resources dedicated to test imports, our
domestic fishermen are  faced with unfair competition from products that
should not be allowed to enter  our food supply.

	

Louisiana's  seafood producers already face enough challenges in a
struggling economy and do  not need the added challenge of facing growing
competition from all-too-often  unregulated and unsafe foreign imports.  As
your U.S. Senator I'll  continue fighting for Louisiana's seafood industry
and to protect seafood  consumers.


Sincerely,

David Vitter
U.S.  Senator